One of the most painful experiences in life is going through a break up or feeling led on.
Have you ever been the kind of person who went on several dates with someone you thought could be “the one”? That was exactly the case for someone we know.
He spent a lot of time getting to know a woman he truly cared about, hoping that their bond would evolve into a romantic relationship. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out that way.
She eventually shared that she didn’t see their connection going beyond friendship, and they parted ways.
Despite the time and effort he invested, she didn’t feel a romantic spark, and he had to accept the painful truth.
It was hard to hear—especially after all the meaningful moments they had shared. They held hands, exchanged personal stories, and built a strong sense of trust. Naturally, he believed those moments meant something more.
But in the end, it turned out that the connection was one-sided.
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How It Felt
When she opened up about her feelings, it felt like a punch to the heart. Negative thoughts flooded his mind, and for a while, it seemed impossible to move on.
But then something clicked—he realized she hadn’t meant to lead him on. Her honesty, though painful, was something he came to respect. If she had simply ghosted him, the emotional toll would have been far worse.
To cope with the emotional roller coaster, he turned to something he knew well: MMA training. Through training, he transformed his pain into power. Below are the methods he used to release those emotions and turn heartbreak into healing.
6 MMA Exercises That Helps You Recover From A Break Up
1. Hitting The Bag
Anger and sadness consumed him, so he used the punching bag as a way to channel those feelings. Visualizing his negative emotions standing right in front of him, he threw power punches and kicks with the goal of knocking those emotions out of his mind.
The intensity left him exhausted—but in a good way. After unleashing his frustration on the bag, he began to see the breakup as a valuable learning experience rather than a loss.
His thoughts shifted from negative to positive as he trained. Hitting the heavy bag proved to be an effective way to release emotional tension—especially after a breakup.
If you’re curious about the mental and physical benefits of bag work, check out the Workout Trends article: ‘7 Benefits of Punching Bag Workouts.
2. Sparring
Sparring with teammates helped in more ways than one. The physical challenge of taking hits and staying mentally composed reminded him that if he could take a punch, he could handle heartbreak too.
The discipline required in sparring taught him resilience and control—two things he needed to get through this emotional setback.
Sparring sessions also helped shift his mindset in a positive direction.
If you’re wondering how sparring can be a powerful tool for emotional recovery after a breakup, check out AWMA’s article: ‘Is Sparring Good for You? Here Are 5 Ways It Can Improve Your Health.
3. Conditioning Circuit
In the final 10 minutes of class, his coach often led the group through brutal conditioning circuits that included:
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Medicine ball slams
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Jumping lunges
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Push-ups
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Sit-ups
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Squats
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Air-dyne bike sprints
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Weighted step-ups
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Planks
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Bag work
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Fast-feet drills
Each exercise lasted for a minute with no rest in between. It pushed him to his physical limits and forced him to stay mentally strong.
As difficult as it was, completing the circuit gave him a sense of achievement. If he could push through that, he realized, he could push through the pain of a breakup.
4. Body Shot Conditioning
Another effective drill was body shot conditioning. Standing with his back against the wall and hands up, he endured a barrage of body shots from his teammates—each hit delivered at about 30–50% power.
Over time, the hundreds of punches to his core helped him feel not just physically stronger, but emotionally tougher too.
The drill became symbolic. Every punch taken reinforced that he wasn’t weak and that he could withstand emotional hits just as he did physical ones.
5. Muay Thai Kicking Conditioning
With a love-hate relationship toward Muay Thai kicking drills, he pushed through sets of 50 powerful kicks per leg.
The physical exhaustion helped purge the sadness. Each strike became a release, a physical manifestation of him kicking the heartbreak out of his system.
6. Ground & Pound On The Dummy
Ground-and-pound drills offered another outlet for emotional release. Using hammer fists, elbows, and knees, he unloaded his frustrations onto the dummy.
After each session, he felt lighter—like the emotional baggage had been left behind on the mat.
Choosing Natural Recovery
He noticed that many people turn to alcohol, smoking, or other self-destructive habits to deal with heartbreak. But he didn’t want that for himself. To him, using unhealthy coping mechanisms was a sign of weakness.
Instead, he believed in natural recovery—processing emotions through movement, discipline, and purpose.
For him, true mental strength was found not in avoiding pain but facing it head-on, and choosing growth over self-destruction.
Conclusion
Breakups and rejection can leave deep emotional wounds. But bottling up those feelings only makes things worse. For him, MMA was the ultimate medicine. Every training session helped him transform pain into power, and heartbreak into healing.
If you’re dealing with a similar experience, consider giving martial arts a try. Whether it’s MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, or boxing—channeling your emotions into training can help you move forward, stronger than ever.
If you have anymore questions about what other MMA exercises to do to recover from a break up, please leave a comment or send a message.
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Hi there! I’m Austin Hoang, an editor and writer specializing in martial arts. As a lifelong martial artist, I have trained in various disciplines and competed in amateur boxing, wrestling tournaments, and Muay Thai/Kickboxing tournaments. Through my experiences, I aim to share valuable insights and ideas about martial arts. Thanks for visiting my page—I hope to inspire and educate you on the impact martial arts can have on life!
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